North Korea, ISIS and Iran

NORTH KOREA, ISIS AND IRAN

The Lord foils the plans of the nations;

    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,

    the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

    the people he chose for his inheritance.

Psalm 33: 10-12

With the eyes and ears of the world fixed on the heated rhetoric being exchanged between North Korea and the USA, North Korea's provocative missile tests, and the growing list of terror attacks in Europe orchestrated by ISIS, the situation in the Middle East seems to have somewhat fallen off the radar. This is dangerous. Events in the Middle East are equally alarming and should not be ignored. 

In a surprise visit to Baghdad last week, US Defense Secretary, Jim Mattis, said that now that ISIS has been expelled from its northern stronghold, it is caught between converging forces approaching from both the northern and southern ends the middle stretches of the Euphrates Valley. Mattis referred to this region as being ISIS's 'last stand' (1). I wish that were true. He is forgetting that ISIS is not primarily an army or a state, it is an ideology. States and armies can be defeated but it is not so easy to destroy an ideology. ISIS was able to attract many followers because it was perceived as being victorious, giving legitimacy to its claim to being the true Islamic State carrying out true Jihad, at least in the eyes of extremist Muslims. It has suffered a blow to this image but it is yet far from being defeated. It is merely shifting its arena of warfare and is now digging in in other areas, such as in the Sinai Peninsula,  Egypt, Gaza and the Palestinian areas, Syria and Lebanon, where it continues to gain power. It is also activating its supporters all over the world to carry out terror attacks. Every time ISIS carries out a successful terror attack in Europe or elsewhere, it gains power and additional followers. It is not enough to defeat ISIS in the battlefield we must show its ideology to be flawed and its power to be weak. There is a long way yet to go to achieve this, and I wonder if the Western world has the will to even engage this fight. We, after all, do not have the religious fervour or any united ideology with which to counter that of the Muslim extremists. 

What is more, as ISIS is being driven relentlessly from Syria and Iraq, the power vacuum is not being filled by the local states but by Iran, backed by Russia and supported by North Korea. Yes, North Korea has a finger in the pie in the Middle East too.  The news agency, Reuters, reported that "Two North Korean shipments to a Syrian government agency responsible for the country’s chemical weapons program were intercepted in the past six months, according to a confidential United Nations report on North Korea sanctions violations", and furthermore, "The U.N. experts said activities between Syria and North Korea they were investigating included cooperation on Syrian Scud missile programs and maintenance and repair of Syrian surface-to-air missiles air defense systems" (2). 

Yesterday Yahya Sinwar, the recently elected Prime Minister of the Gaza Strip, told reporters that Iran is helping Hamas to prepare for war with Israel, saying "Every day we build missiles and continue military training" (3).  On Monday, when Israeli PM Netanyahu was meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, Sinwar announced that " his group has restored relations with Iran and is using its newfound financial and military aid from the country to gear up for a new round of battle with Israel".  He added that Iran is now the largest backer of Hamas' military wing both financially and militarily (4).  

Iran also backs the terror organization, Hezbollah, based in Lebanon. Hezbollah has fought with Syrian government forces in the Syrian war and is now also being supported by Russia. Hezbollah, which boasts that it already has an arsenal of some 100,000 missiles with which it can attack Israel. Now, however, it wants to acquire from Iran long-range missiles which can target specific sensitive sites in Israel. Over the past few years several convoys of missiles passing through Syria have been attacked and destroyed by Israel. This has led Hezbollah to bring missile construction closer to home.  Ynetnews reports that "Russia has reportedly stationed its advanced S-400 anti-missile defense system near an Iranian arms factory in Syria, which allegedly manufactures long-range guided missiles for Hezbollah to use against Israel" (5). This factory is located near the coastal city of Tartus just north of Lebanon. 

This week the world's attention has been captured by the terrible results of Hurricane Harvey in the United States. There is no doubt that this Hurricane has created devastation of epic proportions and my heart goes out to all the people who have lost loved ones, homes and businesses.  

I do not want to belittle their suffering in any way,  but one thing struck me as I followed the news this past week, and that was the unbalanced picture of the world we receive via the western media. Here on our TVs CNN and Fox News gave us continual live coverage of the situation in Texas for several days. However at the same time on the other side of the world, in the Indian subcontinent, a similar and even greater disaster was unfolding. This horrific event received scarcely a mention. Even today as I watched CNN  news they devoted 15 minutes to recovery efforts in Texas and less than one minute to the horrific tragedy in India. Bangladesh and Nepal were not even mentioned.  The death toll in Texas has reached 46 so far and some 100,000 homes flooded or destroyed, and many are displaced and facing an uncertain future. However in Bangladesh, India and Nepal torrential monsoon rains have killed around 1200 people and sent at least 41 million people fleeing from their flooded homes (6).  The USA is a rich country with well-organized relief services and the resources to rescue trapped people, and eventually rebuild homes and businesses. The nations of the Indian subcontinent are much poorer and do not have anything like comparable resources to help people. The situation there is dire and many more people are likely to die from the flooding, landslides, collapsing buildings, starvation, and disease. Now the heavy rains are moving into Pakistan as well causing loss of life and flooding. To the western media and the world as a whole, I would like to ask the question - is an Indian, Nepalese or Bangladeshi life worth less than that of an American? 

Floods in Pakistan today
http://www.indialivetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/43-people-died-and-61-others-wounded-after-heavy-rain-and-floods-that-took-place-in-Pakistan-indialivetoday.jpg

In a similar vein, there has been much reported recently in the media about terror attacks in France, Spain, England and other western nations. However, in 2016  some 34, 676 people were killed in terror attacks worldwide. Of these only 0.7%, 238, were killed in Western Europe. The majority of fatalities, 55%, occurred in North Africa and the Middle East (7). 


In view of all these tragedies, I have been reminded to be grateful for everything I have, a  roof over my head, a dry place to sleep, clothes, clean water to drink and plenty of food. How many people around the world do not have any of these things? If you have these you are in the 5% most privileged people of the world.  When I see the suffering around the world, through natural disasters, wars and disease it puts my relatively minor problems into perspective. Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, human rights activist and author said this:
When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can almost be defined by his or her attitude toward gratitude.

I have also been challenged with respect to my care of my fellow man. Sometimes the scale of need can become overwhelming and cause a kind of paralysis, but there is always something I can do, whether it is practical help, financial aid or prayer. We should not underestimate the value of prayer. Even to help one person is important. Elie Wiesel also said this:

“We must not see any person as an abstraction. Instead, we must see in every person a universe with its own secrets, with its own treasures, with its own sources of anguish, and with some measure of triumph.” 

Finally I would like to recommend an article that appeared in Ynetnews, one of Israel's main newspapers, last week. It is a ray of hope in a very troubled world. It points to the only solution for the world, the love of Yeshua (Jesus). Only He can heal us from hatred and anger and restore us to forgiveness and love. 

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5001245,00.html

References:

1. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5006214,00.html
2. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-syria-un-idUSKCN1B12G2
3. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/hamas-leader-iran-helping-hamas-prepare-for-war-with-israel/article/2632784
4. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5008902,00.html
5. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5010187,00.html?utm_source=Taboola_internal&utm_medium=organic
6. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/india-floods-bangladesh-nepal-millions-affected-says-un-a7920721.html
7. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5007804,00.html

THE FATHER OF LIES

 

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 8:44

 

It is Saturday evening and it is with a heavy heart I sit down to write.  I do not know where to start. So much is happening there is no way I can describe it all, and as fast as I write new events unfold.  Here is a run down of  the events of just the last 24 hours:

• On Friday night widespread rioting broke out in Arab towns across Israel, including Rahat, Nazareth, Kfar Kana, Um el Fahm, Sahknin, Taybeh, in solidarity with Palestinians and expressing anger at the shooting Thursday of a female terrorist in Afula. 
• Rockets are fired at Israel from Gaza but fall short in Gazan territory
• Two religious Jews, aged in their sixties, are stabbed and lightly injured by a 16 year old attacker who was shot dead by security police at the Damascus Gate of the Old City, Jerusalem
• Clashes erupt at the scene between Palestinians and security forces
• A few hours later, at the same place, a Palestinian attacked and stabbed police officers moderately wounding two. A  20 year old police officer was also seriously wounded, and is still fighting for his life, as a result of 'friendly fire' when security forces shot at the assailant. 
• Hundreds of Gazan Palestinians riot at the border fence and succeed in breaking through into Israeli territory. Israeli security forces shoot 7 dead and around 60 are injured. The remainder were forced to return into Gazan territory.    
•  This evening at least 10 Gazan Palestinians break through border fence into Israel. (Ongoing incident)
• Around a 1000 Arabs riot at Kfar Qassem (ongoing)
• Hundreds of Jews demonstrate outside the Prime Ministers home in Jerusalem demanding tougher measures against Palestinian terror (ongoing).
• Missiles fired from Gaza towards Ashkelon shot down by Iron Dome south of the city.

This week in Israel
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4709446,00.html

If you wish to know more I can only recommend you follow the news updates on the web.  http://www.ynetnews.com/home/0,7340,L-3082,00.html

A Palestinian protester waves a knife and his national flag during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in the West Bank and against Jewish groups visiting the al-Aqsa mosque compunds, in Gaza City on October 10, 2015 (AFP Photo/Mahmud Hams)
http://news.yahoo.com/palestinian-stabs-2-israelis-jerusalem-shot-dead-medics-082719844.html

A masked Palestinian hurls rocks towards Israeli soldiers during clashes following the funeral of Mohammed Fares al-Jaabari on October 10, 2015, in the West Bank town of Hebron (AFP Photo/Hazem Bader)
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=100911646940658232#editor/target=post;postID=4420024328621723047;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=0;src=postname

 

The atmosphere in Jerusalem and indeed in all the Land is one of tension and fear. Fear that events are spiraling out of control and we are headed for another Intifada as random knife attacks perpetrated by teenagers become a daily occurrence in our streets, as youths riot and attack security forces and throw rocks and firebombs at passing vehicles, as mobs break through the border fence from Gaza, and rockets are fired into Israel. We are all wondering what will be, as each day it all seems to get worse. 

 

You might be asking what has precipitated this wave of terror? The answer lies with the Father of Lies. Various Muslim clerics and leaders have fabricated and perpetrated the vicious lie that Israel is planning to attack and destroy the Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount, and are calling for 'good Muslims' to take up arms to protect the Mosque. 

 

The current wave of unrest began when Muslim youths barricaded themselves inside the Mosque and attacked security forces and those coming onto the Temple Mount to pray.  In support of these actions, and the subsequent knifing attacks and riots,  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen),  said on the 16 of September,

“We will not forsake our country and we will keep every inch of our land... Every drop of blood spilled in Jerusalem is pure, every shahid [martyr] will reach paradise, and every injured person will be rewarded by God.”The Al-Aqsa Mosque is ours. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is ours as well. They have no right to desecrate the mosque with their dirty feet, we won’t allow them to do that,” http://www.timesofisrael.com/abbas-blood-of-martyrs-spilled-on-temple-mount-is-pure/

At the same time, Abbas tries to present a moderate face to the outside world, calling for Palestinian youth not to escalate the situation and instructing his security forces to calm the situation. Tonight however his Fatah (PLO) party is distributing official pamphlets, bearing Abbas' photo alongside that of Yasser Arafat. The pamphlet praises the 16 year old, Ishaq Badran, shot this morning after attacking two Jews calling him a ' hero shahid (martyr)' . The bottom of the pamphlet bears the words  “Eternal life and glory for our shahids” and “Our essence is sacrificing ourselves for al-Aqsa”.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4709292,00.html

 

Digital versions of the pamphlet were also posted on the official Fatah twitter account.

 

This outbreak of violence is not at all unexpected as an increasingly disaffected generation of Palestinians loses hope of a better future for their people. The Peace Process has stalled (who can talk peace with Abbas?) and the Palestinian youth has been poisoned from the cradle with hatred, rage and lies about the Jews. Add in the libel about the Al Aqsa mosque, rabid incitement by religious and political leaders, and violence is inevitable. It doesn't help that the world's press is quick to report the Palestinian version of events, and reports incidents in a very biased way, thus feeding a growing anti-Israel sentiment worldwide.

 

 An example of the kind of anti-Israel bias in reporting was exposed earlier this month when the BBC ran this headline: "Palestinian shot dead after Jerusalem attack kills two". Although factually correct, on the surface, notice how the wording emphasizes the shooting dead of a Palestinian rather than the fact that the Palestinian in question had just killed two innocent Jews. The headline thus effectively turned the terrorist into the victim, whilst sanitizing the killing of the Jews by depersonalizing the attack with the words "Jerusalem attack". Jerusalem did not attack the victims, the Palestinian terrorist attacked them!

 

Here are another couple of examples from the digital version of The Guardian newspaper, " In another attack, 19-year-old Palestinian Muhammad Saed Ali, from Shuafat refugee camp, in east Jerusalem , was shot dead after Israeli police alleged that he stabbed two police officers",  and "Earlier on Saturday, two Israeli men in their sixties were wounded when Israeli police said they were stabbed by Ishaq Badran, a 16-year-old Palestinian" . http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/10/israel-protests-three-palestinians-killed-five-wounded-violence-escalates. Again these reports appear accurate but notice the words "alleged"  and "Israeli police said they were stabbed...". Such phrasing casts doubt on the veracity of the statements, thus undermining the legitimacy of the shooting of these terrorists by Israeli police.

 

 

It is difficult for people outside of Israel to weed out the truth from all the lies in the media. However it is important to read the newspapers and reports online with a discerning mind, and a Bible in one's hand. The Bible provides an anchor for truth, an absolute and infallible 'take' on events. True it is sometimes difficult to discern right from wrong, especially in the current conflicts which arise from extremely complex historical, political and religious perspectives, but nevertheless the Lord's perspective is clear and obvious to all who wish to know. Israel is a sinful nation, a stiff-necked people, who have rejected God's beloved son and Messiah, but nevertheless they are His Chosen people and the 'apple of His eye' (Zechariah 2:8). God again and again promises to protect Israel and destroy all those who rise up against her. He has never revoked those promises and he will honor them in the end. We cannot know what the immediate future might hold for Israel, but we do know her end. God will fight on her side and all her enemies will be destroyed.  The prophet Ezekiel spoke of the judgment that would come upon the descendants of Edom (Esau) for shedding the blood of the children of Jacob (Israel)

Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir; prophesy against it ³ and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you and make you a desolate waste. ⁴ I will turn your towns into ruins and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
⁵ “‘Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword at the time of their calamity, the time their punishment reached its climax, ⁶ therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will give you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you. ⁷ I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste and cut off from it all who come and go. ⁸ I will fill your mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines. ⁹ I will make you desolate forever; your towns will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

Ezekiel 35 : 1-9  

 

And again the prophet Obadiah says these words against Edom,

“The day of the Lord is near
    for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you;
    your deeds will return upon your own head.¹⁶ Just as you drank on my holy hill,
    so all the nations will drink continually;
they will drink and drink
    and be as if they had never been.
¹⁷ But on Mount Zion will be deliverance;
    it will be holy,
    and Jacob will possess his inheritance.
¹⁸ Jacob will be a fire
    and Joseph a flame;
Esau will be stubble,
    and they will set him on fire and destroy him.
There will be no survivors
    from Esau.”
The Lord has spoken

Obadiah 15-18

 

 

 

Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.² For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb...

 

For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the Lord,
They shall inherit the earth.¹⁰ For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

¹² The wicked plots against the just,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
¹³ The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming.

Psalm 37

Please remember us all here in your prayers. Prayer is effective and is greater than the sword (or a Kalashnikov). Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and the safety of all her inhabitants, Jew, Arab and Gentile alike. Pray especially for the Palestinian youth who are being led as lambs to the slaughter by their leaders, who are inciting them to greater and greater violence, which can only bring calamity upon the Palestinian people. These 'great' leaders sit safely in their homes and send children to fight soldiers and cut down innocent old men, women and children. Then they call them 'brave martyrs' and 'heroes'. Above all pray for the salvation of many, Jew and Arab, that they might find the true peace of Yeshua, the only solution to the conflict. May the Lies of the Enemy be exposed and many turn to the way of Truth.

May Yeshua come soon!